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OPERATINGMECHANISMS
T h e A u s t e na n d O w e n S . M . G . ' sa r e b o t h o f s i m p l eb l o w b a c k e s i g n . h e O w e n g u n h a s d T a fixed firing pin on the bolt face while the Austen has its firing pin at the front of the telescoping mainspring tube casing.

AUSTEN
plungeron the butt pivot block is depressed order A folding stock is fitted; the release in to move the stock into the extended foldedpositions. or The bolt is cockedby pullingthe cocking handleto the rear as far as it will go. The triggersear engageson the underside of the bolt, holdingit to the rear.A specialsafetyslot can be engaged movingthe bolt by position. disengage from the safetyslot, the bolt handleupwardswhen in the cocked To it handleis pulledback a little and moved downwards.

Telescoping mainspring pin assembly firing with mounted front, at similal to theMP38 rather than theBritish Sten. Safety slotfor cocking handle is theshort ontop. one

A loadedmagazine insertedinto the housingfrom the left hand side, until a "click" is is heardupon the magazine into the magazine catch engaging caserecess.When the trigger is depressed, acts upon the searwhich releases bent of the bolt and allowsthe bolt it the to move forward under the pressure the mainspring. of Feedribs in the side of the bolt strip the top cartridgefrom the magazine and then push it into the barrelchamber.The firing pin is at the front of the strikercasing,which housesthe mainspring. The heavy primeruntil the bolt is in the fully extractorblocksthe firing pin from strikingthe cartridge forward position.As the cartridge cams up over the baseand into chambers, extractor the the groove of the cartridgecase.Then the strikeris free to indentthe primer. The resultingdischargefires the projectile out of the barrel.The rearwardforce of this explosion drivesthe bolt backwards, although the weight of the bolt is sufficientto delay pressures reduced its rearwardmovementuntilbreech The are considerably. firedcartridge case is extractedfrom the chamberwith the rearwardbolt movementand the case then strikesthe ejectorin the left side of the tube. The case is thrown out of the ejectionport at the right hand side of the gun. Backwardmovementof the bolt is regulatedby the mainspring, housedinsidethree telescoping steeltubes. The bolt movesto the rear until this spring reaches maximum compression.Then the bolt commences its forward m o v e m e n ta g a i n . With the "R" sideof the fire selector and mode is selected button depressed, repetition the the bent of the bolt will catch the sear, keeping the bolt in the cocked positionuntil the trigger is depressed again.To engageautomatic,the "A" side of the selectorshould be depressed. the automaticmode,the triggerseardoes not contact the bent of the bolt ln and so the bolt continuesto load and fire, extract,eject and re-cock,load and fire again, so long as the triggeris depressed.

38

OWEN
T h e O w e n h a s a d e t a c h a b l e b u t t s t o c k , r e m o v e d b y d e p r e s s i n gt h e c a t c h l e v e r n e a r t h e front of the stock and pullingthe stock away from the gun body. To cock the bolt, the c o c k i n g h a n d l e i s p u l l e d r e a r w a r d su n t i l t h e s e a r e n g a g e st h e b o l t , o c c u r r i n gw h e n t h e b o l t i s i n i t s r e a r m o s t p o s i t i o n . O n t h e o r i g i n a lg u n , t h e s a f e t y c a t c h i s e n g a g e d b y m o v i n g t h e fire selector lever to the "S" position.The Mk 2/3 modet has this position blocked by a c h e e s e h e a ds c r e w . T h e s a f e t y c a t c h o p e r a t e sb y m o v i n g t h e s e m i - c i r c u t a r l i d e a c r o s s t h e s c o c k i n g h a n d l e s l o t , p r e v e n t i n gt h e c o c k i n g h a n d l ef r o m f o r w a r d o r b a c k w a r d m o v e m e n t . A loaded magazine is inserted into the top of the frame and pushed home until the m a g a z i n e c a t c h e n g a g e s i n t o t h e a p p r o p r i a t em a g a z i n e b o d y s l o t s . W i t h t h e b o l t c o c k e d t o t h e r e a r a n d t h e s a f e t y c a t c h o f f , t h e t r i g g e r i s d e p r e s s e da n d i t s s e a r d i s e n g a g e sf r o m t h e b e n t o f t h e b o l t , r e l e a s i n gt h e b o l t t o g o f o r w a r d u n d e r p r e s s u r ef r o m t h e m a i n s p r i n g . M o v i n g f o r w a r d , t h e t o p r o u n d i s s t r i p p e df r o m t h e m a g a z i n ea n d f e e d s d o w n w a r d s o n t o the front of the bolt. The bullet nose feeds into the barrelchamber and the base of the c a s e l i n e s u p w i t h t h e a p p r o p r i a t er e c e s s o n t h e f a c e o f t h e b o l t , a n d t h e f i r i n g p i n . A s t h e c a r t r i d g e c o m e t o r e s t i n t h e c h a m b e r , t h e b o l t c o n t i n u e sf o r w a r d a n d t h e f i r i n g p i n n i b s t r i k e s t h e c a r t r i d g ep r i m e r , d e t o n a t i n g i t . A t t h i s t i m e , t h e e x t r a c t o r s p r i n g s o v e r t h e c a r t r i d g e b a s e g r o o v e . T h e r e s u l t i n ge x p l o s i o n d i s c h a r g e st h e b u l l e t d o w n t h e b a r r e l a n d e x p a n d i n g g a s p r e s s u r e sf o r c e t h e c a r t r i d g e c a s e a n d b o l t t o t h e r e a r . T h e f i r e d c a s e i s extractedfrom the chamberand the heavy weight of the bolt delaysbackward movement s u f f i c i e n t l y u n t i l t h e c h a m b e r p r e s s u r e sd r o p s i g n i f i c a n t l y .T h e p r e s s u r ew a v e a n d b u r n i n g gases at the muzzle thrust downwards on the compensator, steadying the gun movement, e s p e c i a l l yd u r i n g a u t o m a t i c f i r e . A s t h e b o l t m o v e s t o t h e r e a r , t h e f i r e d c a r t r i d g e c a s e i s e x t r a c t e d f r o m t h e c h a m b e r a n d i t s t r i k e st h e e j e c t o r o n t h e r e a r w a l l o f t h e m a g a z i n e .T h i s forces the case downwards, through the ejection port. The bolt continues to the rear, compressingthe mainspring,until it reaches its limit and starts to move forward again. With the selector switch on "R", the sear holds the bolt to the rear until the trigger is d e p r e s s e da g a i n . T h i s i s f o r r e p e t i t i o nf i r e . W h e n t h e s e l e c t o rs w i t c h i s a t t h e " A " p o s i t i o n , automatic fire is applied. So long as the trigger is held down, the bolt will continue to c y c l e , f i r i n g a u t o m a t i c a l l y u n t i l t h e t r i g g e r i s r e l e a s e do r t h e m a g a z i n e e m p t i e d .

A B

c
D

Changelever pin and bents Trigger Triggerspring Sear

T h e t r i g g e r h a s t h r e e p r o j e c t i o n sw h i c h e n g a g e t h e s e a r . T h e u p p e r m o s t o n e p r e v e n t s t h e sear from rising when the change lever is set on "S". This is the safety position. The m i d d l e o n e i s t h e " R " o r r e p e t i t i o ns e t t i n g . T h i s l i m i t s t h e r i s e o f t h e t r i g g e r t o e n s u r e t h a t t h e s e a r e n g a g e s w i t h t h e b e n t o f t h e b o l t d u r i n g e a c h c y c l e , r e q u i r i n ga t r i g g e r p u 1 f o r each forward movement of the bolt. The bottom projection engages the underside of the sear and keeps the sear clear of the bolt bent, permittingautomatic fire when the change lever is set at "A". The three different positionsof the change lever or fire setector alter t h e s e t o f t h e t r i g g e r a n d t h e r e f o r e , t h e d e g r e e o f d e p r e s s i o no f t h e s e a r .

39

STN'PP'NG & ASSEMBLY

CUIDE AUSTEN M.C. - A PRACTICAL 5.

Licences heldin somecountries, are The application this sectionwill vary considerably. of be territories and statesfor theseguns for use with live ammunition, it ball or blank,and permittinguse by machinegun clubs, advanced movie armourers. Other and collectors guns.Therefore, for the licences deactivated may own thesefirearms special on collectors properserviceprocedures strippingand maintaining these items is describedhere. for Correctcleaningis importantfor these guns after they have been used; fouling and the for entry of grit, dirt, sand and such foreignmatterinto the actionwere the main reasons stoppages. gun makes the content of this section Design and rationalebehindthe sub-machine applicable the serviceriflesor even the light and medium machine for differentto that procedureis not as critical due to the guns. Much of the gauging and headspacing The stripping theseguns is not as of simplified type of blowbackactionand the cartridge. gunseither.And therewas not the samecriteria for involvedas for the riflesand machine accurateshooting. guns were more relatedto The armourer'sskills relatingto the varioussub-machine and servicing of faults.An understanding the correctstripping operation and mechanical procedure importantfor the collector, museumcuratoror gunsmith.Again,knowledge is to Specialist tools were not required and the use of propertools aretwo primeelements. the same extent as for the rifles or largermachineguns. And there are not as many guns.Goodscrewdrivers, vice with soft metal a components and screwsin sub-machine jaw inserts,punches,and a copperor rawhidemalletare important. good penetrating A oil is often usefultoo. will be removed,the gun cocked STRIPPING.Beforeany part is stripped,the magazine the Againafter assembly, gun will be cocked,and and chambercheckedfor ammunition. working parts easedforward undercontrol. the Then, press in the stud on the recoil spring housingand slide off the butt assembly downwards, ensuringthat the return springcap does not spring out. Removethe return draw back the cockinghandleand remove the spring cap. Holdingthe gun horizontal, and holddown returnspringcasingassembly from the bolt.Then removethe bolt. Depress holderand then unscrewthe lockingnut. the barrellockingnut catch on the magazine into two differentparts. Removethe barreland casing,these separate 40

The followingparts will now have beenstripped:Butt Bolt Returnspringcap Barrel and barrelnut Returnspringcasingassembly Body Any further stripping was to be effectedby the unit armourer.
A S S E M B L Y . B a s i c a l l y ,t h i s i s i n r e v e r s e o r d e r t o t h e s t r i p p i n g . l n r e p l a c i n g t h e b a r r e l , ensure that it engages in its keyway before pressing the barrel locking nut catch and s c r e w i n g t h e b a r r e l h o m e . T h e n t u r n i t b a c k s l i g h t l y a n d r e l e a s et h e c a t c h t h a t a l l o w s t h e t e e t h t o e n g a g ew i t h t h e p a w l . U n n e c e s s a r y s e o f t h e " c l i c k " m e c h a n i s mw i l l d a m a g et h e u l o c k i n gt e e t h . H o l d i n g t h e g u n h o r i z o n t a l ,i n s e r t t h e b o l t i n t o t h e b o d y ( d o n ' t d r o p i t i n t o t h e b o d y ) a n d then place the front end (firing pin) of the return spring casing assembly into the bolt. Keepingthe trigger pressed,slidethe bolt completely forward. Attach the return spring cap. Hooking the forefinger of the left hand around the backsight, press in the return spring cap with the left thumb and slide the butt into position from below. Release pressureon the cap.

loading is alsoillustrated AUSTETU stripped usermaintenance cleaning. for and Magazine tool position sliding to alongside of magazine,the correct in for overtop of magazine load top position, the barrel, and cartridges. is shown central Body in with bolt,return spring in fromthe lower cap,butt assemblies magazine loader and with shown clockwise order position the illustration. ltYatter. left hand sideor 7 o'clock in J.

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